Courtesy The Daily Mirror

Former Maldives President Mohammed Nasheed who is presently in Sri Lanka, said former prime minister Mahinda Rajapaksa had not sought a safe haven in the Maldives and he had not met Rajapaksa during his current visit in the country.

Speaking to Daily Mirror, Nasheed said reports stating that Mahinda had asked him for a safe haven for himself and his family members in the Maldoves, considering the present political climate in Sri Lanka, was false and he had not even met the former Sri Lankan Prime Minister.

Nasheed said there were elements within the Maldives who were trying to strain the relations between Sri Lanka and Maldives and such claims of Mahinda Rajapaksa wanting to exit Sri Lanka for the Maldives was fake.

“This is completely untrue. I had no such meeting with the former prime minister. Very sad that there are elements in the Maldives who want to fabricate these stories,” Nasheed said.

Nasheed who was recently appointed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe to coordinate the relief efforts for Sri Lanka, globally, said his role in Colombo was to attract assistance for the country during this time of crisis and Sri Lanka’s internal problems was for the Sri Lankan people to settle. 

“We need to focus the issues at heart here. And I will continue to be of assistance to the Sri Lankan people,” he said.

When questioned if an exit from Sri Lanka to the Maldives was discussed in the meeting he had with SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, Nasheed said this matter was not discussed and discussions only focused on how the Maldives could help the Sri Lankan people at this time. (JAMILA HUSAIN)